Promise Me
by Ranger Anonymus
Summary: Will thinks he finds himself at a dead end, with no where to turn. Can a few kind friends help him change his mind?
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hey what's up? Review please. I need a will to live. Enjoy!

NEW A/N This whole thing is CRINGE. Send help.

Halt dodged easily around the man swinging at him. The odds of seven to one hardly bothered him, he'd been in worse situations. Rangers were used to being out numbered, after all. But they weren't used to this.

Halt tripped.

He expected to feel a heavy blow to his head, but when he didn't, he was on his feet in an instant. Then he understood why he hadn't been hit.

A small boy was weaving among the men, tapping them and distracting them. He never hurt them, but he kept them confused. Halt took out four of them while they were distracted. Then he heard a thump.

The boy was on the ground with a man's boot on his back. The boy was hysterical to the point of screaming. Halt tackled the man to the ground and knocked him out. He glanced quickly at the boy as he addressed the new situation. Once he had dealt with it, he reached a hand down to the boy.

The boy flinched back, as if struck, and got to his feet on his own.

"You got a name, kid?" Halt said quietly.

"Yes, sir. W-will, sir," the quick reply came.

"Hello, Will. I'm Halt. Are you alright?"

Will nodded quickly, mumbled something about needing to leave and ran off. Halt watched him sprint away and wondered what this world had become, where young children no longer trusted helpful and well-meaning strangers.

He didn't like it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Daaaaaaaaaaaaaang! This got pretty popular (for me T-T.) Review pleeeeeeeeeeeease. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.

The heat was nearly unbearable as Halt ran into the burning house. He was told there was an older boy and a younger one still in the house. Vaguely, he saw a shape moving towards him.

The smaller boy was struggling to carry the larger, who must have passed out. Halt ran forward, lifted the boy easily, and ran for the door with the smaller kid.

They burst out and collapsed onto the dirt many feet away. Halt looked at the small boy. Coincidently, it was Will. The older boy stirred, and Will ran to his side.

"Are you okay?" he whispered anxiously.

The boy opened his eyes and yelled. He violently shoved Will away. Will crawled back and repeated the question.

"I will be once you're gone!" he screamed.

Halt intervened.

"That's enough. He saved your life. You should be grateful."

The boy snarled and punched Will. Will quickly scooted back. He got to his feet unsteadily and started to walk away. Halt joined him.

Will seemed nervous with Halt following him. He didn't ask, but Halt could tell he thought he had done something wrong. They reached the orphanage, and a woman came running out. She slapped Will hard in the face, and then hugged him while crying hysterically. She helped Will to his feet and hugged him again.

"Ma'am, this kid has now helped me twice. I just wanted you to know what a good kid you're raising," Halt began.

"Oh, I know. He's so reckless sometimes, though," she gushed.

Will glanced back at Halt as he was ushered inside.

It was a look of fear.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N So, I know I said this one was gonna be longer, but... The next one is, I swear. Enter Pauline!

"Pauline, I... I need to talk to you," Halt began weakly.

"Oh, so do I," his wife said calmly.

Pauline went first.

"I want to adopt a child. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I'm sure this is what I want," she said diplomatically.

"That's what I was going to say!" Halt exclaimed.

Pauline smiled knowingly. "I know. Well, anyway, I was hoping you would have someone in mind, since I don't know any of the orphanage kids."

Halt nodded briskly. "I already have someone in mind. He's very timid, but he's a good kid. He's a bit small for his age, but he's extremely brave. It's the kid I told you about."

"Will?" Pauline said. "From what I've heard from you, I think I'll love him."

Halt smiled. For once he was looking forward to what tomorrow might hold.

A/N Shout out to AreiaCannaid and RAPJ for reviewing. BTW I own nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N OH MY GOSH IT'S ACTUALLY A LONGER CHAPTER! -_- I know, okay? I'll probably stop uploading so much once I run out of pre-written chapters. I kind of have writer's block rn. Well, have fun!

Will curled in on himself as much as possible. Fists were painful, but a chair hurt so much more. He bit back his cries of pain and fear as the chair hit his back again. Each blow chipped away at Will's self-control and sanity.

The words hurt even more than his aching back.

"Useless b####! Stupid, ugly, worthless! Waste of space! I wish you were dead!"

Will let one sob loose and the beating grew a hundred times worse. Every inch of his body ached horribly.

Suddenly it stopped.

Several screams reached Will's ears and he slowly sat up.

Halt was standing ominously over the three women Will knew too well. He must have made a whimpering sound, because Halt gently turned to him.

"Hello, Will. Are you alright?"

Will nodded quickly and scooted away from Halt.

"Will, I'm going to need you to come with me," Halt began softly.

"Am I in trouble?" Will blurted out.

Halt gently shook his head and forced the three women to their feet. They made their way to the baron's office. Halt knocked once and walked swiftly in.

"Hello, Halt! What brings you here?" Baron Arald said cheerfully.

"Baron, I believe these three women have been hurting this boy." Halt was direct and to the point.

The baron looked quickly between Will and the women. His gaze turned dark. Will shrank back from his gaze and tried to disappear.

"Sit down, we must discuss this."

Will could barely move, but he managed to sit down next to Halt.

"Will, was it?" the baron asked. "Is this true?"

Will glanced fearfully at the women and back at the baron before quickly nodding his head.

"Do they hit you often?"

Nod.

"Do they feed you?"

Violent head shake.

"Do they make you feel bad or call you names?"

Nod.

"Do they do this to other children?"

Head shake.

"Do they make the other children hate you?"

Nod.

"Alright, I believe we have enough evidence. I'm sentencing you three to banishment from Redmont for life."

The baron had barely finished growling out the words before one of the women lunged at Will. He screamed and flung himself on the floor. Halt restrained the women and some guards took them to a dungeon. Will cowered in a ball next to the baron's desk.

Halt gently knelt next to him. He began to whisper to him. Arald blinked back tears of frustration and anger. It would do no good to scare the boy.

Eventually, Halt got the boy to sit in his chair again. Pauline walked in and sat next to Halt. Will flinched away from her, but Halt explained she was his wife and wouldn't hurt him.

"We would like to adopt you," Halt said softly.

Will's eyes filled with tears and he trembled.

"Really?" was all he could say. They nodded. Will seemed like he was about to crumble into pure happiness.

Baron Arald smiled and told them it would take about a day to get all the paperwork filled out and they could take Will home tomorrow. Will's face hurt from smiling so much but he didn't care. Someone wanted to adopt him. Him! With all his problems and mistakes! He could hardly believe it.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Will quickly packed the small bundle of items he could call his own. He then lay down in bed, tossing and turning in excitement and fear. What if they hated him? What if they hurt him? What if he broke something special and they sent him back? What if...

Will fell asleep worrying about tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Okay, this one's kind of trash, but I'm posting it anyways! There was a small "glitch" because I meant to post a different chapter for chapter 3, but it got messed up. So go back and read chapter 3 again. Chapter 4 is the previous chapter 3. Sorry guys.

Will trotted lightly down the forest path to the Ranger's cottage. He was still horribly nervous, but he was ready to try this new life.

Halt was standing on the porch of his house. He nodded at Will and opened the door for him. The cabin was small, but homey. Pauline was setting the table for three and serving breakfast. Will saw an open door and peeked in.

It was clearly his room, with a small but comfortable bed, a dresser, and a bedside table with a candle on it. There was a vase of bright wildflowers on the window sill. Will carefully unpacked his things, making sure everything was neat.

Will sat down at the table with his new parents. He stared at the amount of food on his plate. He carefully began to eat. No one yelled at him, so he continued. Once he had finished his plate, Pauline refilled it and once again he stared at it. Will ended up eating three full plates.

He finally felt full.

A/N Poor Will. Thank once again to my two aforementioned reviewers.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Please review, it makes me want to live. Anyway, enjoy! BTW, the next chapter contains... JK I won't spoil it.

It had been about two months since Will had been adopted. He was finally feeling at home. He had settled into a daily routine in harmony with his parents. He didn't call them "Mom and Dad" yet, but they didn't mind. Will was in school for most of the day, but afterwards, he would always stay in the forest.

Halt and Pauline were always willing to let him do whatever he needed to be comfortable, as long as it wasn't dangerous. Will was still very skittish and hated being touched. If you tried to touch him, he would run away and disappear into the forest.

Will had many, many problems.

First of all, you couldn't touch him. He had no friends, all the kids at school seemed to hate him. Will had extreme trust issues, it was so bad that sometimes he wouldn't even eat. He had been purposefully starved for a long time. He was afraid he would get in trouble if he ate too much. Will was terrified of raised voices and sudden movements.

Halt and Pauline had no trouble adjusting their lifestyles to help Will feel comfortable. They were completely prepared to wait for him to come to them. Will was trying his best to trust them, but they urged him not to push himself. Will could hardly express his gratitude.

There were major setbacks quite often, but Will kept trying his best.

Eventually, Will broke.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N All right! 1. Will is 13, cuz everyone's asking. 2. I'm not dead 3. FLUFF WARNING!

Will had always come home later than most students, but it had been three hours since school had ended. Halt began to get worried.

Finally, they heard footsteps on the stairs. The door swung open and Will stumbled inside.

Will's face was swollen and bleeding. His arm hung awkwardly by his side. Blood dripped onto the floor. He limped heavily, favoring his left leg. His throat had horrible bruises all over it, as if someone had tried to choke him.

Halt ran forward but didn't touch him.

"Will! What happened? Who did this? Are you okay?"

Will looked up into Halt's face and let a sob loose as he fell forward. Halt caught him gently. Normally, when Will was touched, he would tense up. Right now, in Halt's arms, he was completely limp.

Will slowly wrapped his arms around Halt's torso had clung to him. He began to shudder violently. Halt took him to his room and took out his medical kit. Together, Pauline and Halt patched Will up. They carefully led him to bed and tucked him in.

They talked late into the night, wondering how Will would be in the morning.

When they finally went to bed, Halt could barely sleep. Halfway through the night, Halt awoke to footsteps outside his door. He carefully looked over to his door and saw a figure standing in the moonlight.

"Will? Do you need something?"

Will jumped and turned to go back to his room.

"Will? What do you need?" Halt said quietly.

Will slowly turned back and walked into the room.

"C-can I st-stay h-here for t-tonight?" Halt barely heard Will's question.

"Sure," Halt said without hesitation. Will carefully walked towards the bed. Halt scooted over to make room for him. Will slowly settled in and was soon fast asleep.

Somehow, Halt found he could sleep perfectly.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N How'd I get this popular? Thanks for reviewing! Please keep reading.

Halt prepared himself for Will to be fearful and timid once again. But to his surprise, Will was comfortably curled up next to him. Halt carefully stepped out of bed and got ready for the day. He made breakfast and Pauline sat down at the table with him.

"Did you see Will?" she said quietly.

Halt nodded. "He came in the middle of the night. I'm surprised he stayed this long."

Will appeared in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. He sat at the table and ate his breakfast. They ate in comfortable silence. Finally, Halt spoke.

"What happened yesterday?"

Will flinched and looked at Halt fearfully.

"I won't be mad. Nothing you could do would me make me angry at you," Halt said quietly.

"P-promise me."

"I promise."

"B-but... I-I... di-didn't f-fight back..." he whimpered.

Halt gently laid his arm on Will's. Pauline shook her head.

"There's nothing wrong with not fighting back. If it was someone you couldn't win against, fighting back could have made it worse. Or if it was someone who might have used it against you. It's okay. We aren't angry," Pauline whispered.

Will closed his eyes for a long moment.

"It was some other students," he rasped. "I know their names. I was walking home, and they ambushed me. I begged them to stop, but they wouldn't. One of them almost choked me to death. Once they stopped and left, I couldn't get up for about two hours. And then... you know the rest."

Halt's eyes filled with fury and Will flinched back. Halt instantly calmed himself. Pauline took Will's hand.

"I will take a list of names to the teacher. Those students will be disciplined," Pauline said firmly. Will nodded shakily.

Halt and Pauline stayed with Will the rest of the day.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Okay, this one's kinda trash, but y'all keep asking for more! BTW, I forgot if I mentioned this, but Will's 13 in this. Also, Horace will enter soon! :)

This was it. The day Will had been living for. The day he had been counting down since as long as he could remember. It was the Choosing Day.

Will had waited for years for this day. It was the day he would've gotten an apprenticeship. Since he was adopted, Will didn't have to do this, but he couldn't forget it. When he mentioned it to Halt, he nodded and said it could still be like that. Will glanced at Halt, but he didn't elaborate.

Later that day, Will found a note on the table. It said something about Halt's mission. But something seemed off to Will. He remembered seeing something about a group of criminals that were hiding in Redmont somewhere. What he had read, didn't match up to Halt's mission at all. It could be nothing, but Will's stomach started to do flip-flops inside his throat.

There was almost no way that Will could go against however many men there were and survive. But he still had to try. Pauline was out on a mission, and Halt had already left. Will grabbed Halt's extra cloak, donned it, and grabbed his spare knives. He secured them properly to his waist and ran outside. Luckily, there was a spare horse. It wasn't a ranger horse, but it was better than going on foot.

Will carefully rode the horse and looked at the map. It took about twenty minutes to get there. Will slid off the horse and walked as silently as he could to the supposed place of the hideout. Three men were guarding the entrance. Will watched as a shadow slid past them.

He was too late.

Will carefully moved forward through the underbrush. He was about one foot away when they noticed him.

The three of them called out and ran toward him. Will jumped into the nearest tree and climbed to the highest possible point he could without falling.

More and more men swarmed around the tree. Oddly, Will felt very calm. He couldn't hear their words, but they were clearly distressed that he had found them.

Halt appeared suddenly and began to shoot them down. Several tried to attack him, but they failed miserably. After all of them were either dead, in extreme pain, or running as fast as they could. Will carefully began to climb down. Halt glanced up at him as he jumped down.

"So, you figured it out," Halt smirked.

"Figured what out?" Will asked.

"This was a test. I wanted to see what you would do if I left my fake mission lying around. You put the pieces together. I'm impressed. You're very smart. Now, how would like to be a ranger's apprentice?"

Will froze.

"C-can I really?"

"Of course."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"I'd love to be your apprentice, Dad."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N So someone pointed out Will is 13 and the Choosing Day would've been when he was 15. Sorry guys. Also, it's your lucky day because I'm probably gonna post like 3 chapters today. BTW writer's block is visiting again! ToT

"Hello, Old Bob," Halt called.

"Hey, Halt!" he yelled back. "Did ya bring yer apprentice?"

Halt and Will walked up to him and greeted him. Old Bob brought out a small horse and Will carefully approached it.

The horse stepped forward and Will flinched back a few steps. The horse stopped moving and waited. Will slowly edged towards him, and he stood still. The horse waited until Will began to pet him and then he very slowly began to lick Will's hand. Will carefully wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face in the horse's mane.

"His name's Tug," Bob said quietly.

After a few moments Will carefully grabbed the lead and led him around the corral.

The rest of the day was spent taking care of Tug. Within a day, Will and Tug had become almost inseparable. Halt was extremely relieved that they got on so well. Will fell asleep next to Tug with a smile on his face.

The next day, Will saddled up Tug and got him ready. He glanced at Halt and Halt walked up to him.

"Before you mount him, you need his code word. If you try to mount a ranger horse without the code word, he'll buck you off. Bob, what's the code?"

Old Bob screwed up his face in mock concentration, before pretending to remember.

"Oh! You should say 'Do you mind?'"

Will leaned over and whispered it into Tug's ear before carefully climbing into the saddle. He gently tapped his heels into the horse's sides and Tug instantly moved into a walk. Will tapped three more times and they were almost airborne! Will shrieked in excitement and hung on as tightly as he could. They had gone a good way into the woods before Will turned them around. Once he got back, Will carefully slowed down. He jumped off and laughed breathlessly.

"He's wonderful! I can't believe how fast he is!" Will gasped.

Halt smiled and helped Will gathered his things. They left for home.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N Hi again. Horace will be really nice in other chapters, but in this one he didn't know about Will's past. Enjoy!

Will was an amazing apprentice. He was hard-working, patient, determined, and over all, just a great person. So, Halt had no second thoughts about giving him Harvest Day off.

Will walked through the fair, admiring the bright colors. He had become much more comfortable with crowds since he had been adopted. As he walked past a tree, he heard someone calling his name.

Will turned and saw some friends he had once had. Alyss, George, and Jenny waved him over. He carefully walked over to them.

"Hey, Will! We haven't seen you in forever! Where did you go?" Jenny asked.

"I-I g-got ad-adopted," Will whispered.

The three of them congratulated him and invited him to him to sit down. They caught up on many different things in the course of about twenty minutes. They even shared their pies with him.

Then Horace showed up.

He took one look at Will and began to yell.

"What the heck is he doing here?! He's just a messed up, crazy mute!"

Will flinched back and Tug scooted closer to him.

"He's not mute! He's just quiet," Alyss said calmly.

Horace sneered and made a sudden movement towards Will. Will yelped and scrambled into Tug. Horace laughed and snatched the remaining pieces of Will's pie.

"There is no need to be so rude to Will. He has done nothing to you," George said calmly.

"Yes, there IS. He's taking MY place in this group. He's NOTHING compared to me," Horace scoffed.

"I-I'll j-j-just go..." Will whispered.

"There's no need for that," George stated.

Horace shoved George to the ground, and before he knew what he was doing, Will had stood up, and placed himself between them. Horace shoved him back, and Will helped George up.

"Please stop," Will said firmly.

Horace sneered and punched Will hard in the face. Will turned and ran through the woods to his favorite tree. No one followed him. Will's breathing sped up, and his heart began to race. He slipped out of the tree and hit the ground hard. Tears blocked his vision.

Suddenly, someone was beside him. They were gently tapping his face and he screamed. They urged him to open his eyes, and when he did, he saw Halt. Will couldn't hear over the roaring in his ears, but when Halt took his hand, he found he could breathe again.

The world began to go black, but Will focused on Halt's face as he fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Sup? Horace is nice now! Yay!

Will noticed Horace in the group of hunters. He didn't feel particularly nervous about that. Horace hadn't been hostile toward him since that day.

Will was nervous about the boar hunt. It was unlikely he would have to do anything, but there was always a chance. Soon enough, the boar had been killed, and Will breathed a heavy sign of relief. Horace came to talk to him, so he slid off Tug. That's when he saw it.

"There's another one!" he screamed. Everyone jumped because Will almost never raised his voice.

Horace ran in front of Will, but he slipped and fell over. Will jumped in front of him and began to attack the boar. He swerved around and hit it from behind. It spun around and roared.

Will was able to keep it occupied for a few minutes. But, eventually, he slipped.

Will fell uselessly on his side in the snow. The boar tore open his thigh with its tusks. He screamed and tried to writhe away. The boar suddenly squealed and fell into the snow, dead.

Halt flung himself down by Will.

"Are you okay?" he gasped.

Will shook his head slightly. He pressed his hand onto his wound. Halt gently lifted Will off the ground and carried him to Tug, then helped him on. He led Tug began to lead him home, but Horace stopped them for a moment.

"Will... I-I'm so sorry. I-I d-didn't know. I'm really sorry. C-can you ever forgive me?" he sobbed. Obviously, someone had told him about Will's past.

Will nodded and gently smiled. Horace smiled though his tears. Halt took him home and patched him up. Luckily, it looked much worse than it was, although, Will wouldn't be walking for a few days.

The wound was well worth it, considering he'd gained a friend.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**

**Okay, the last chapter was just something I like. It was Self-Inflicted Achromatic translated by JubyPhonix. A few days ago I just came out of a depressive episode. Today, I'm going into another one. I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much, but I'm going through a really tough time. Support is welcomed gratefully. I'm just trying not to kill myself. If you're interested in an Undertale or separate Ranger's Apprentice fanfic, please let me know.**

Will's hands shook slightly as he pulled the bow taught. He aimed about a foot away from the ranger's head. He took a breath and let go.

The arrow flew straight and true and did not hit anyone except a tree. Will had already dropped down several branches and hid behind the trunk. The ranger had surely seen him, but it was worth a try.

"Good job! I know where you are, but I hardly saw you at all. Impressive," an unfamiliar voice called.

Will carefully leapt out of the tree and ducked behind it. He quickly snuck a look at the new man and the man turned to look at him. Will's face turned bright red and he ducked back into the underbrush around the tree. He heard a gentle sounding laugh.

"Shy, are we? Well, no worries. I can wait," the man chuckled. Will poked his head out again. Ever since the incident with the battle school apprentices, he'd been even more wary of people than usual. The man seemed nice, but he knew better than to trust people based on appearance.

After a few moments, Will walked out from his hiding spot and saw who this new person was.

The young man was tall but thin, with a kind face and light blonde hair. Glancing over him, Will realized this man had probably never hurt anyone but people who deserved it in his life. Despite his best efforts, Will's knees trembled slightly. The man stuck out his hand.

"Gilan. You must be Will."

Will couldn't bring himself to touch the man. Gilan hardly seemed offended by this. Will had already grown to like this man. They mounted their horses and rode to camp.

Will scanned the secret grounds carefully. It seemed like no one was even there. Will could feel the unease radiating off Halt and Gilan. His breath caught in his throat.

Halt glanced at Gilan and rode off to the tent in the middle. Gilan beckoned Will to a certain spot in the grounds. They set up camp together. Will vaguely heard Gilan telling him to do something as the edges of his vision began to fade. He hated that he was like this, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Will? Will? Are you alright?"

Gilan's voice slid back into Will's mind after a few moments. He carefully took in a breath. He idly realized he hadn't been breathing earlier.

"Y-yeah. I-I think s-so," Will stuttered. Gilan looked worried but didn't press the matter. They sat down and began to cook some soup. After a few minutes, Halt joined them.

"There's a problem," he said shortly. "There might be some Kalkara loose."

Gilan sucked in a breath. Will glanced fearfully back and forth between them. Halt nodded gravely.

"W-what's a-a K-k-k-kalkara?" Will whispered. Halt and Gilan glanced at each other.

"It's... like a bear and a wolf and an ape... but different. It's honestly terrifying," Gilan said in a hushed voice. Will shivered.

Halt reached for Will's hand, but he scooted away. Ever since that day, Will would no longer let anyone touch him. Halt, of course, didn't try again.

After they forced down their food (none of them really wanted to eat,) Halt started to pack up. Will followed suit. After a few moments, Will spoke quietly.

"We're going after them, aren't we?"

Halt stiffened and then nodded.

"A-all of us?"

"Yea."

"I-I shouldn't g-go..."

Halt glanced sharply at Will. "Why?"

"I-I'll j-ju-just r-ruin e-ev-evrything..." Will whispered.

Halt moved in front of Will and looked into his eyes.

"No, you won't. I don't care what other people think, I wouldn't bring along if I didn't know you could handle it. You'll do fine. Besides, you won't be going into close combat with the Kalkara."

Will's eyes watered. Eventually, he looked up. "Promise me," he mumbled.

"I promise."

Will carefully picked himself up and took a shaky breath.

"Okay, let's go."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N I'm back. Still sad, but I'm back. The blanking out thing with Will last time was a coping mechanism. Notice it happened when Halt stepped away. Will was severely traumatized by Alda and the others.

Will ran outside, screaming. He didn't want it; he didn't want to be hurt! They always hurt him. He didn't want to hurt. They didn't know where he was going. No one did.

Except for him.

Finally, he made it. He was there. Will carefully stepped off the edge of the cliff and fell.

They couldn't hurt him anymore.

Will screamed as he sat up and slammed his head into something. All he knew was pain. Pain was bad. Pain meant them. Will curled into a ball. Someone was speaking to him gently, but he screamed at them to go away. He wanted them to go away. He _needed_ them to go away.

"Will, Will. It was just a dream. It's alright."

"NO! IT WAS REAL! GO AWAY! YOU WON'T HURT ME! STOP! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! STOP!" Will sobbed hysterically. He hyperventilated so much his head ached.

After a long moment, Will was able to stop crying. He pushed himself up, glaring, until he realized he was glaring at Halt and Gilan. He rubbed his eyes and blinked. He looked around, confused.

Halt spoke gently, "It was dream. It's okay. It didn't happen."

Will felt tears course down his face. He mumbled something no one could hear. Halt carefully and slowly reached for Will's hand. Will jerked it back. Gilan took a breath.

"I know you're scared. I know it hurts. Take a breath. Wipe your eyes. It's going to be okay. We will never hurt you. Never."

"Promise me."

"We promise," Gilan said quietly.

Will took Gilan's advice, and when he was ready, he carefully took Halt's hand, squeezed it once, and let go. They all ate breakfast and went back to riding. Throughout the day, Will would carefully squeeze Halt's hand and let go. He wasn't ready for any more than that.

He wasn't sure he would ever be.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N Hi. Thanks so much for all the reviews. Reviews are my coffee. Also, I'm planning to start a babybones au undertale fanfic. Stay tuned!

"Will, I need you to go to Redmont and get backup. We're going to need it," Halt muttered as they carefully followed the Kalkara's trail. Will stiffened.

"Are you sure? Where should I meet you? Who should I bring?" Will said quickly.

"Yes, I'm sure. Meet us at the ruins of Gorlan. Get Baron Arald and Sir Rodney and their guards. You'll have to ride through the night and take Gilan's horse-"

"What?! Are you sure, Halt?" Gilan said incredulously.

"What's his code word?" Will asked quietly.

"Brown eyes," Gilan sighed.

Will nodded and carefully prepared for the journey. He packed up his things. After a few deep breaths, he rode off.

The ride was hard, and Will kept falling asleep and then waking up. Eventually, the sun rose, and Will was hurtling down the hill toward Redmont. Finally, he made it there.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" a guard yelled. Will flinched but spoke quickly.

"Ranger's apprentice."

The guard let him pass and Will hurried up the corridors of the tower as fast as he could. He slammed the door open and ran into the Baron's office.

"Halt needs backup! He said to meet him at the ruins of Gorlan. They Kalkara are heading there," Will gasped.

People began to rush around. Baron Arald nodded at Will.

"Thank you for telling us."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N I know the last chapter was trash. Sorry.

_Dad._

That was Will's only thought as he watched Halt sprint across the ground. Will launched himself off Tug and began to run. He dropped his bow and pulled out his knives. He slashed at the monster and then swung around it. He avoided it while stabbing and slashing at it.

The monster caught his shoulder with a viscous blow, but Will staggered to his feet. Sir Rodney and Baron Arald had been knocked out by the horrible monster. To his surprise, Will saw Halt fighting alongside him. Then he was down.

"Dad!" Will screamed, but he had no time to worry, he had to kill the Kalkara.

_Fire._

Will grabbed a stick from the large fire and hissed as it burned his hand. He ran to the monster and flung it towards it.

Screams rose into the sky. Will flinched back in horror. The Kalkara beat at its chest and howled.

Then it exploded.

Will was flung backwards violently and hit the ground hard.

He knew no more.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N I'm back again. Feel free to PM if I'm taking too long. I'm thinking about writing a Sherlock high school AU. Anyone interested?

Slam. Slap. Slap. Crunch.

Will howled in pain. His head was aching horribly. Sobs escaped his bleeding lips. What did he do to deserve this? If this was life, he didn't want it. He'd rather be dead.

Dead.

That was it. That's what he would do-

Will woke up flailing and yelling. He quickly stilled, for his left shoulder ached. He gasped and looked up into Halt's face.

"D-d-dad? W-what..." Will's voice trailed off as his shoulder began to radiate pain.

"Hey, Will. How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" Halt said gently.

"Y-yes... My shoulder r-really hurts..." Will gasped.

Halt carefully took a glass of water and some medicine and helped Will take it. Will closed his eyes and sighed. He shivered slightly and felt a blanket fall over him. His shoulder still hurt, but it wasn't as sharp now. Sleep began to take over him.

"D-dad... Don't let th-them get m-me..." Will mumbled.

He fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N Wait til next chapter for details.

It was a beautiful morning when Will awoke. No one was sitting by his bed, but the sun made the room warm and cheerful. Will carefully got out of bed and limped to the window. He stretched his head out and breathed in the scent of rain. It must've rained overnight.

Will carefully opened a door he found and began to wander the hallways. He wasn't quite sure where he was or where he was going, but he was hopeful. Maybe there wasn't, but there was a glimmer. Will felt the floor grow cold under his bare feet.

Someone was calling his name.

Will ran forward into a fog. His sense of direction was completely lost, but he followed the voice. It led him to a high ledge. Was he supposed to jump?

But it was Halt's voice calling him.

He wouldn't want Will to die. Will ran back to the first door and saw himself lying in bed with Halt and Pauline sitting next to him. He walked to himself and lay in bed inside himself.

Will sat up.

"Mom? Dad? What happened?" he whispered. They both gasped and hugged him.

"We thought you might not make it," Pauline said sadly.

Halt said nothing, but he hugged Will close. Will hugged him back.

He was home.


	19. AN

A/N Soooooooooooooooooooooo

That's the end.

Jk

Next one will be called

_Find Me_

That'll be the second book. Cool.

Also, I'ma write that Sherlock fanfic.


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